May 4, 2015
Provisional Licence Facts

The first step to gaining a full UK licence is to apply for a provisional licence. This can be done either online (which costs £34) or by posting off the hard copy form, which can be obtained from the Post Office, to the DVLA (which costs £43). In Great Britain, you have to be at least 15 years, nine months old to apply for a provisional licence but you can’t start taking lessons or attempt your theory test until you are at least 17.

Once you have applied to the DVLA, you will receive your provisional licence through the post. This currently comes in the form of a photocard and paper counterpart but from June 2015, learners will receive only the photocard as the counterpart is phased out.

To get your provisional driving licence you must meet the minimum age and eyesight requirements and live in Great Britain.

The photocard is only valid for 10 years, however. Most learners pass before the provisional expires. However, if you do leave a long gap in your lessons or don’t take lessons on your provisional, you will need to renew it after 10 years. You will get a reminder to renew from the DVLA. This again can either be done online (at a cost of £14) or by post (at a cost of £17).

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April 2, 2015
Identifying the speed limit

It is common for drivers to not realise what the speed limit is, so here is a handy guide to help you figure it out in the absence of signs:

Roads with regular street lighting usually have a speed limit of 30mph unless it is indicated otherwise such as with a sign. If there’s no street lighting, but a 30mph limit is in place. 30mph repeater signs are used to remind drivers of the limit. Where there is street lighting, but a limit other than 30mph applies, repeater signs are also used to show the speed limit.

Where there’s no street lighting, the speed limit for cars and motorcycles is usually 60mph for single-carriageway roads and 70mph for dual-carriageway roads. This is known as the national speed limit. Single and dual carriageways are defined by the presence of a central reservation – those without are single carriageways.

Don’t treat the national speed limit as a target speed. You may drive up to this speed, if the conditions allow you to do so safely. You should take into account the time of day, the weather conditions and other drivers, and then drive at an appropriate speed.

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March 26, 2015
New Safety Measures On French Roads

France has introduced a range of road safety measures including the lowering of the driving age and drink-drive limits.

Twenty-six measures have been introduced including the lower of the driving age to 15 from the current age of 16. Following the probationary period, the driving test can now be taken at 17 and a half rather than 18.

In addition, there will be trials of a reduced speed limit from 90 to 80 kmph on secondary two-way roads with poor safety records and parking within five metres of pedestrian crossing will be banned. The measures also include the lowering of the drink-drive limit for 18-24 year-olds to 0.2% g/l of blood – the equivalent of a small glass of wine or a small beer – and there will be trials of mouth swab drug detection tests.

The use of earphones and earpieces with mobile phones for hands-free calls in cars is now banned if they “reduce drivers’ auditory attention”. The changes also include improvement of road infrastructure safety including lowering the risk of driving the wrong way on the motorway with the installation of no-entry signs on a retro-reflecting background at turnoffs and the modernisation of 4,200 radars.

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March 11, 2015
Worst Learner Barred From Local Schools

Janine Mars, 31, from Chatham in Kent has been barred from local driving schools having forked out more than £5000 on 14 years of lessons but still not being up to scratch. She has taken 250 lessons, used five different instructors and failed her practical test four times.

After driving the equivalent of London to Perth, Australia, she still can’t master pulling away from a junction without stalling. And now instructors in Kent won’t take her on because they know how bad she is.

Janine started driving in 2001, but changed instructor after 15 lessons because they didnt get on. When she moved to her second teacher, she had more than 100 lessons before realising he wasn’t going to put her forward for a test. As work got in the way, it wasn’t until 2012 that Janine got back in the driver’s seat. After switching to a fourth tutor and even sitting double lessons with him, she moved to her fifth instructor last August but still couldn’t pass her test.

She now says she took a break after her last test in October but wants to do an intensive course. She puts down her issues with driving to a lack of confidence. She has now adopted a routine before every driving lesson. She said: ‘Before I get in the car, I eat a big breakfast and drink a mug of tea. Then, without fail, I play Happy by Pharrell to get myself into a more relaxed mindset.’

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February 25, 2015
Practical Driving Test Trials

Following the announcement that the driving test is to be updated, the DVSA have announced that they will shortly begin research into how these changes could be implemented.

The research, which is to be conducted at 20 test centres, will see how the driving test could be made more realistic and better prepare drivers for modern day driving. This will involve trialling a new version of the driving test where candidates will use a satellite navigation system, carry out different manoeuvres, answer ‘show me tell me’ questions on the move.

Amongst the 20 trial locations is Mitcham test centre, one used by some Britannia instructors with a few of our instructors looking to get involved in the research and help assess whether the changes will be an improvement to the driving test.

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January 29, 2015
Test Changes Update

Late last year we wrote of the Practical Test undergoing some changes which will see the Turn in the Road being dropped. There are now further updates on these changes.

Both the Turn in the Road and the Reverse Round the Corner are to be scrapped from the practical test. The independent drive will last for 20 minutes instead of 10 and will involve using a Sat Nav instead of following road signs.

A new manoeuvre is to be introduced which involves driving into a parking bay and reversing back out in a similar style to the Turn in the Road. Stopping on the right is also to be introduced since this is a manoeuvre that is not tested on the practical test but is widely used in real life.

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January 28, 2015
Rise Of Impersonators Sitting Tests

More and more learners are turning to fraud to help them pass their practical test. It is clear that the process of learning to drive and taking the test has proved too much to handle for some and they are now turning to impersonators to take the test for them

Figures released from a Freedom of Information request show that there were 667 reported cases of learners hiring lookalikes between April and December 2014. This figure has significantly risen in recent years. In 2004, the figure was only 158.

Some fraudsters are charging up to £1,800 to sit an exam.

This is of concern as it puts innocent road users at risk and so the DVSA have employed stringent measures to catch out these fraudsters.

Jane Hunt of Britannia Driving School says “the test is there for a reason, people should learn to pass the test themselves instead of paying excessive amounts for fraudsters.”

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January 26, 2015
Cost of Being A Young Driver

The cost of being a young driver has risen significantly in the last few years. It is well known that car insurance for youngsters has become extortionate in recent years, with most young drivers spending well in excess of £2,000 a year on car insurance. However, according to recent research the exact figure has fallen since 2009. The average figure for young driver car insurance currently stands at £2,232 in comparison to £2,455 in 2009.

In fact, this is not the main expense for young drivers with car insurance only making up a third of a total bill. Another element to the cost is learning to drive, but again this is a small fraction of what is costing young drivers. The most significant expense seems to be young drivers, or their parents, splashing out on a first car. The average cost of a first car has gone up to £3,825 which is a vast increase in recent years.

In a survey of 2,000 parents, almost two third said their contributed to their children’s driving lessons, a third paid towards the cost of a car and 30% helped with insurance costs. The key to decreasing costs seems to be in choosing a car wisely (not going for the most expensive models!) and shopping around for insurance. These figures are average ones and those who pick their car and insurer carefully can find themselves spending less than £2,000 in total.

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January 21, 2015
Thoughts On New Hazard Perception

After the announcement by the DVSA that they will start using CGI in the Hazard Perception Test, Britannia Driving School have adapted the Hazard Perception available on the website to include sample CGI clips. This allows users to compare the two types of clips.

Britannia Driving School have also compared both types of clips to decide which is better. Whilst the images on the CGI test used are good, they are a cause for concern. The DVSA’s decision to use CGI is largely due to the fact that it helps them create scenarios that are too dangerous to film. It is also designed to make it easier for the DVSA to update the clips if need be in the future.

However, the clips do not on the whole help learners as they are not as realistic as the previous clips. Therefore, instead of accompanying what is learnt in driving lessons, it is merely a driving test designed to examine what can only be practised by using the CGI clips and not real life scenarios.

Britannia Driving School’s Hazard Perception practice test includes 7 CGI clips in order to help our pupils prepare for the new test but still contain some of the old clips in order to prepare them for the real world as well.

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January 19, 2015
Calls To Improve Driving Test

Two road safety charities have called the driving test to be updated urgently. They argue that the driving test does not reflect real world risks.

The Institute of Advanced Motorists have released a statement saying that the current driving test does not include testing of a driver’s ability to cope safely with country roads, poor weather or driving at night. Currently, the only courses that provide such training is Pass Plus which is not compulsory and is open to new drivers once the pass.

However, the IAM are calling for the graduated licensing system to be introduced which would provide such training before a learner can pass their test. A 12-month minimum learning period, graduated licences and limits on passenger numbers for newly qualified drivers are all among the IAM’s recommendations.

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